Goemon (2) in the House

Slated for release in Q2 '99, Konami's Mystical Ninja: Goemon 2 (tentative title) offers a delightful time warp back into the 16-bit days of sidescrolling two-player games. Taking the best elements of the original Goemon 2 (on Super Famicom) and some of the RPG elements of Goemon 3 (also Super Famicom), the game forgoes the third-person perspective of its N64 predecessor to create super-fast two-player action.

In the role of either Goemon, Ebisumaru, Sasuke or Yae, players progress sideways (in some instances into 3D space), hitting enemies with their weapons (ranging from pipes to ninja stars) and jump from platform to platform to advance. While the gameplay is perfectly retro (it's exactly like Goemon 2 on Super Famicom), the graphics are pure N64 goodness. Everything, including the characters, is polygonal and moves along at brisk framerates. The colors are vibrant, the effects beautiful, and the music... Well, you know what to expect: J-Pop mixed with Shamisen and Koto tunes and lots of cheesy singing.

Like in Goemon 2, players can team up and fight together, ride robotic vehicles (such as horses), carry each other piggyback and jump into Goemon Impact (the giant battle robot) to deliver 3D fist fights with the bad guys. In an upgrade from previous Goemon games, each player will get his own robot in the two-player mode, and fight opponents tag team style.

Look for the Japanese version of Goemon 2 in stores by the end of the year, followed by the US release in early '99. We've snapped a lot of pictures of the game, so be sure to check back later this week.